Proving one's identity is necessary for a variety of reasons. Drivers licenses, social security cards, employee identification cards, and credit cards are all designed for particular Uses. In many instances, however, multiple forms of identification are necessary. For example, when cashing a check, one may be required to show a drivers license and a major credit card. Multiple ID requirements illustrate the nature of a significant problem, identification cards as a whole are not always trustworthy. Unfortunately, picture bearing identification cards are only as effective as the picture they bear. An identification card may be rejected and prove itself useless, if one grows a full beard, otherwise changes a hair style, loses weight, gains weight, etc.
In addition, many identification cards have no picture or other authentication means. For most cards without a picture, merely bearing and presenting the card is identification enough. However, identification cards of this type are woefully inadequate. The credit card industry, for example, loses tens of millions of dollars every year in credit card fraud. Thieves wreak havoc when credit cards, welfare cards, or other account bearing cards are stolen.
It is known to use fingerprints in conjunction with an identification card to verify ownership of the card at the point of said. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,086 to Szwarcbier discloses a credit card having a fingerprint stored thereon for later verification that the holder is indeed the true owner of the card. The fingerprint may be recorded using mechanical steps wherein the fingerprint is first taken using a stamp pad and paper. The image is then enlarged, retraced to form clean lines, reduced to its normal size, and stored On the identification card, preferably in mirror reverse form. A fresh print is compared to the stored master print using a viewer projector, episcope, or computer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,621 to Dreifus discloses an identification card having a programmable data processor, a fixed memory to store various information, and light emitting diodes (LEDs) for optically communicating with a corresponding terminal. The memory may include retinal patterns or fingerprints for comparison to user characteristics by a terminal at the point of sale.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,036 to Froelich discloses a "smart" credit card which may include the complete records of an individual's bank balance, and their transactions, so that a merchant can confirm a balance based on the information stored on the card itself. The card includes a fingerprint exemplar which is compared with a print taken on a treated paper carrier. The two images are optically compared in a reader using autocorrelation to confirm a match.
The above cited references using fingerprint identification need to operate in conjunction with some form of separate fingerprint scanner. Separate scanners, and the knowledge to operate them, dramatically increase the costs and complexity associated with an identification card system. In addition, security can still be breached, either by scanning a magnetic stripe or recording the account information printed on the card. Thus, even with identity proving features, many credit cards may still be used fraudulently over the telephone or for other electronic purchases.